In the past, there has been a temptation for athletes to just “play through the pain,” but as we have learned, concussions are serious injuries and must be treated appropriately to decrease the risk of long-term effects. This is especially true for children, whose developing brains may be more vulnerable to injury.

Unlike the pros, young athletes participating in sports often do not have the benefit of trained medical personnel on the sidelines to look for and evaluate head injuries. Because of this, parents and coaches should be aware of what symptoms to watch for to help determine when a bump on the head may actually be something more serious.

Hopefully your child has made it through an active summer without too many bumps and bruises. The past few months have been a busy time for us as pediatric orthopedic specialists, treating kids who have rolled an ankle, sprained a ligament or (in most cases) broken a bone. And now, going into the fall sports season, more young athletes are probably going to be in need of our services.

Playing sports requires a lot of preparation. There is of course all the physical training involved, loads of equipment, learning the rules of the game … but one area that can get overlooked is nutrition.